Truce of Life; Chapter 8 on Page 60

Welcome,

Today, I am here to retell an old fable of bravery, that has been whispered time and time again by life in the ears of men about to let go of the strand that held them between life and death.

As the title suggests, this story is about life. The life of a Woman who struggles in post-Independent India. She's not a fighter. Neither is she an social activist. She is just a girl. A girl who refuses to give in.

Look out into the street down there and you'll see her. Seen?

Now,

The intricacies of the story that spans three generations of Indian life, has been taken from the life of the mother and grandmother of a friend extremely close to me. You might find the ladies in this story different from an average Indian woman, because well, my heroines are different.

All the names and most of the places have been altered, though you'd find a shadow of reality everywhere.

Index

Prologue - Pg 1

Part I

Chapter 1 - pg 12

Chapter 2 - pg 19

Chapter 3 - pg 27

Chapter 4 - pg 34

Chapter 5 - pg 41

Chapter 6 - pg 46

Chapter 7 - pg 53

Chapter 8 - pg 60

I hope I shall be able to portray the story well enough to pierce your hearts with the chords it strikes.

Prologue

A withering mansion in the heart of Kolkata,

She sat on the vintage couch reading the letters which her grandma, Purnashashi had once written to her Grandpa Jagatpati. She had found them in an attractive wooden box almost hidden in dust in the corner of their little south-facing room in their ancestral mansion which had housed them for more than fifty years.

It was to be demolished the next day.

Most of the letters bore nothing special, just the usual health queries. But, the one she held was different. It contained a couplet,

It's a game of music; my game of distance with you,

My flute plays on in solitary pain in separation from you...

Just that.

She could not, however, locate the end of it. Her mind floated away, into the distant past...

(Couplet taken from Rabindranath Tagore's 'Dariye Achho Tumi Amar')

congrats for new story...😳

all the best for your boards...😃

Beautiful Start Choti, Loved It! 🤗 The Concept is very different and exciting.

congratulations for the new story
wonderful concept

What a wonderful start to your new story Pro am already intrigued please continue when you can looking forward to reading more

Beautiful start Proteeti! Loved it! Continue when you can 🤗. All the best for your exams!! Keep shining!! 😊